War and Peace is one of the greatest monuments in world literature. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, it examines the relationship between the individual and the relentless march of history. Here are the universal themes of love and hate, ambition and despair, youth and age, expressed with a swirling vitality which makes the story as accessible today as it was when it was first published in 1869. Download and start listening now!

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Listener Opinions

Alvin Dulcan | 2/12/2014

" It took me a whole summer to read this book. It went on and on, but I am glad that I read it because I like to get a view into different time periods and cultures. "

Dick Hannay | 2/12/2014

" my favourite book of all-time. Should be reread every decade. Hard to believe it was historical fiction at the time. Interestingly Tolstoy never thought that this was a novel but an expose of his historical philiosophy...I think it makes it all the more a great novel. "

Lynn | 2/8/2014

" Tolstoy revived the heart of Russian fiction. "

Keith | 2/7/2014

" There are many reviews on this novel. It is still a very good read. Find a copy at the library and enjoy it. "

Dayna | 2/3/2014

" Long battle scenes. Other than that, fascinating story about the French Revolution. "

Vanessa | 2/3/2014

" really enjoyed the 'peace' bits found the 'war' bits a bit hard to get through. "

Daniel Mauck | 1/21/2014

" What more can be added to all that has been said and written about this masterpiece? What other superlative could I possibly use to describe it that hasn't been used before? Just read it. "

Cindy | 1/18/2014

" Amazing book. It was a little over my head in parts, but I'm glad I read it. Such wonderful characters and Tolstoy was a genius. Pierre and Denisov were my favorite characters. "

Kelly Wortham Wick | 1/18/2014

" He is a very fine Author. ...a top book! "

Ron Peck | 1/10/2014

" Epic soap opera during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. I enjoyed this book despite it's length. Great story telling by Tolstoy. I highly recommend it as a must read classic. "

Scott Leffler | 1/10/2014

" One of my favorite books ever. Love Russian literature. "

Susan | 1/5/2014

" Should be on everyone's life list. "

Limeminearia | 12/24/2013

" honestly, i liked just the peace parts. "

Sally Grey | 12/13/2013

" I am loving the inner voices of the characters. "

Sharon Li | 12/10/2013

" I liked his characters and how they reflect different human conditions. However, Tolstoy spent lots of words on his theories of what drives events in history, which I personally don't care much about. "

Jim | 12/5/2013

" Amazing! A wonderful example of outstanding historical fiction. "

M.T. | 6/5/2013

" I found some of parts of it more enjoyable than others but, overall, well worth the effort. "

Mikhail Baskov | 3/30/2013

" Read it in school (because I had to), then re-read it again (because I wanted to). Never regretted. Totally different experience. "

Amy | 2/15/2013

" I have thrown this book at a wall so many times. "

AJ Macrae | 10/11/2012

" From what I could remember, it was divided into 5 books. The first 3 I literally could not put down but the last two was a real drag. Still a great book on the whole though. "

Nicole Thompson | 10/9/2012

" This might reflect on me poorly to intellectuals, but Tolstoy's style doesn't do a lot for me. His characters and stories should be brilliant, but his execution loses my interest. "

L | 9/26/2012

" I'm just glad that I finally finished it after two years. "

Shannon | 7/4/2012

" Began my love of Russian writers. First long read. "

Ralph Davis | 5/30/2012

" I can't decide whether "War and Peace" or "The Brothers Karamazov" is the greatest novel ever written. And what difference does it make? "

Jon | 4/24/2012

" Hands down one of the best things I've ever read. So I read it again. "

Joseph | 4/19/2012

" Enjoyed it. More of a soap opera than I was expecting. "

Julie | 11/23/2011

" Hardly an easy read, the story is simply a byproduct to the philosophy of war. Amazing detail, but very very very long! "

Charmaine | 7/13/2011

" Worth reading it once! was a long read! "

Harry | 5/22/2011

" When Tolstoy tells his character's stories, this book fairly sings. When he lectures on military tactics it's a snooze fest.
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Mike | 5/22/2011

" I actually read the Dunnigan translation. A great book.
"

Scott | 5/19/2011

" Read the Garnett translation. It's less Anglicized. There is an even better revision of GarnettThe three volume format of the Everyman's edition is easier to hold in bed or anywhere.
"

Boni | 5/18/2011

" The old Signet Classic, 1968 first printing that I read was not listed in goood Reads
Was Translated by Ann Dunnigan with an Introduction by John Bayley

" Epic story. Hard work at first but you grow to know the characters.
"

Cjl | 5/13/2011

" The best novel ever written. I read War and Peace regularly, and I've read several different translations. This is the best. Drops dripped.
"

Alla | 5/8/2011

" The peace I love, war made me quit the book 3/4 of the way through.
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Jennifer M. | 5/8/2011

" this book was recommended by one of my friends... i have been reading it for the past 3 years and i am only through half. to say its a slow read is understating the situation. its my goal to finish it this year.
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JP | 5/5/2011

" I found Pierre Bezukhov irritating and unlikeable. The character I identified with was Prince Andrei. Of course we all know what happens in the end.
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Other Titles by Leo Tolstoy:

About the Author

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was born about two hundred miles from Moscow. His mother died when he was two, his father when he was nine. His parents were of noble birth, and Tolstoy remained acutely aware of his aristocratic roots, even when he later embraced doctrines of equality and the brotherhood of man. After serving in the army in the Caucasus and Crimea, where he wrote his first stories, he traveled and studied educational theories. In 1862 he married Sophia Behrs and for the next fifteen years lived a tranquil, productive life, finishing War and Peace in 1869 and Anna Karenina in 1877. In 1879 he underwent a spiritual crisis; he sought to propagate his beliefs on faith, morality, and nonviolence, writing mostly parables, tracts, and morality plays. Tolstoy died of pneumonia in 1910 at the age of eighty-two.

About the Narrator

Neville Jason is an award–winning narrator, as well as a television and stage actor. He has earned seven AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He is a former member of the Old Vic Company, the English Stage Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the Birmingham Repertory Company. While training at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, he was awarded the diction prize by Sir John Gielgud.

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